1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to high temperature processes and apparatuses for the incineration or decomposition of hazardous materials.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Incineration at high temperatures is a common acceptable method for destruction of hazardous wastes or materials contaminated by hazardous wastes. Typically, temperatures of 2,000.degree. F. to 3,000.degree. F. are generally used, with dwell times in the incinerator being consistent with the degree of destruction required for the particular waste material being incinerated. In a conventional incineration process, fuel oil or natural gas is used along with the material being incinerated to achieve or maintain the minimum required temperature for decomposition.
With conventional incineration a temperature limitation problem arises. There the maximum temperature that the material being incinerated will be exposed to is limited by either the actual flame temperature of the material or the flame temperature of the fuel being used in the incinerator. Because of this maximum temperature limitation, the dwell time, the time the material must spend in the incinerator to reach the degree of destruction required, must be extended. Accordingly, the equipment required for these conventional incineration processes is generally large because of the dwell times required. This equipment is also expensive to purchase, install and maintain.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,426,255 entitled "Disposal of PCB" issued Jan. 20, 1981, a process for the decomposition of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB's) utilizing a molten metal salt bath is disclosed. There the PCB and a source of oxygen are fed into a reactor containing the molten salt mixture at a temperature of about 850.degree. C. The PCB is decomposed by pyrolysis and oxidation. While the dwell times for this process are in the order of 0.2 to 0.8 seconds, the molten metal salt is depleted during the decomposition of the PCB and has to be replaced. In addition the depletion of the molten metal salt creates additional solid waste products requiring disposal.
A process for destroying PCB's in electrical insulating fluid is published in POWER, Vol. 126, No. 8, August 1982, pp. 134-135. There the process, called PCBX uses a commercially available reagent which strips chlorine atoms from the PCB nucleus and generates harmless compounds and residues. The chemical reactions are carried out under carefully controlled conditions of reagent amounts, temperature, and process time, followed by selective filtration, dehydration, and degassing. Insulating oils can be removed, processed, and returned to the equipment. However, this process is suitable for use only with fluids containing PCB's and not with solids having PCB contamination.
The use of a process suitable for fluids and solids having PCB's and which generates negligible solid wastes while having dwell times of 0.2 seconds or less to allow for a greater throughput would be desirous. In addition an apparatus for the decomposition of hazardous material which would be less costly to install and maintain and more compact than conventional incinerators would also be advantageous.